ABSTRACT

Understanding Global Crises is an innovative and interdisciplinary text that investigates the key contemporary economic, social, and environmental crises and demonstrates their deep interconnection.

Contributing to the discussion of large-scale crises, this book provides a conceptual framework to understand the current global landscape. Essential cascading crises topics, such as economic collapse, climate change, racial injustice, domestic violence, and epistemic oppression, are explored in order to equip readers with the clarity to understand global crises, assess policy interventions, and analyze social responses. To achieve future resilience, the book shows that society must recognize various forms of inequality and make policy changes.

Each chapter showcases an international case study, covering real-life examples of topics such as climate disinformation, vaccine distribution disparities, environmental racism, and socioeconomic deprivation. Other features of the book include key terms, suggested further reading, and discussion questions, as well as online supplements comprising PowerPoint slides and an instructor’s guide. Understanding Global Crises will be a valuable text to support courses in economics, environmental studies, political science, public health, and social policy.

chapter 1|25 pages

Global crises

An introduction

part I|84 pages

Health, economic, and environmental crises

chapter 2|29 pages

Coronavirus pandemic

chapter 3|27 pages

Economic collapse

chapter 4|26 pages

Climate catastrophe

part II|83 pages

Social instability

chapter 5|27 pages

Racial injustice

chapter 6|27 pages

Domestic and family violence

chapter 7|27 pages

Epistemic injustice

part III|51 pages

Building future resilience

chapter 8|25 pages

Progress or collapse?

chapter 9|24 pages

Resilience and vulnerability